Reviews

This was an interesting movie right up until the moment we learn who Liam really is. At that point, we're expected to believe that not only did this inexplicable cosmic event afflict him with his terrible power, (and tie it to his planned next victim) but that it also completely changed his personality from homicidal monster to decent, caring, and self-sacrificing.

The magic space zap is something I can suspend my disbelief over, because it sets up an intriguing mystery and character study. Evil to good at the flip of a switch is far less believable, especially since they had another, more interesting story sitting right there with Jane/Rose's husband. The tension in their relationship actually makes sense if he's the killer. The unfolding movie is then about Jane solving the mystery of her missing sister and also allows for Liam's sacrifice to be both believable and to have more emotional weight.

Real missed opportunity.

Binged this in one day. So raw it was hard to watch, but it was so powerful I could not stop.

The performances were absolutely breathtaking. Paul Walter Hauser was the standout, but everyone shined during their moments on screen. The understated determination of Greg Kinnear, the intensity and vulnerability of Sepidah Moafi, the swaggering need of Taron Egerton.

For as great as they all were, I will probably be most haunted by Ray Liotta. As a final performance in a great career, this one brought tears to my eyes. I'm not sure if I would see it differently were he still with us, but I suspect not. It was a perfect elucidation of mortality by a father who wouldn't give up on his son.

I suppose I understand some of the gripes with this series. It's an weird soup of anachronism and upturned expectations. The characterization of people like Holmes, Watson, Mrs. Hudson is definitely at odds with traditional representations, especially in the early going. Leaning so hard into dark magic and the paranormal is not a generally Holmesian trope either.

But the rants against "wokeness" because this is set in Victorian London are the one thing with no basis in fact. Aside from the fact that complaining about wokeness is telling on yourself, Victorian London was far more diverse than too many like to believe. That diversity was spread through class and status. That doesn't mean there wasn't racial and ethnic tension, but London was the center of a globe-spanning empire and as such attracted people from literally everywhere, some wealthy, powerful, and connected, and many more not.

So beyond that, how does this hold up? Overall, well, once you accept a little contemporary language and soundtrack music. It's uneven, especially in the early episodes until the characters get a chance to develop. Dr. Watson as a patronizing bully is a bit hard to take (though, give him time), as is Mrs. Hudson as a slumlord harridan. And Sherlock, well, we've seen him drug-addled in other productions, but here this is certainly turned up to eleven. The kids are older and more world-weary than the original (rarely glimpsed) Baker Street Irregulars. If you really want a traditional Sherlock, this series isn't for you.

But given that there's no lack of traditional Sherlock, I'm open to this over-the-top approach. The early monsters of the week are well done and either not your usual creepers or have interesting new twists. The larger dark magic through plot is a bit less compelling and seems to riff on ideas explored in other series without adding a whole lot that's genuinely new. Still, it's well-crafted and after the first few episodes really starts to move along in a satisfying way.

The performances are generally excellent, especially Bea, Jessie, and their mother. And once you understand why they've become who they are in this telling, Watson and Holmes are also strong. The boys are fine, though they don't get the room to develop that the girls do. Which, honestly, is fine. Even in an ensemble not everyone gets to have their story fully fleshed out, certainly not in eight episodes.

That leads to what in the end is the strongest element of the series. Not the monsters, not the magic, not the mystery-but the exploration of loss. In the later episodes this really shines through in a powerful, heartbreaking way. In this sense, a series that superficially seems to be another teen ensemble drama turns out to be a deeper, more profound and ageless meditation on finding our way through the suffering, trauma, and grief.